Australia teen ‘punches croc’ in miracle escape

An 18-year-old man escaped becoming a meal for a crocodile in Queensland, Australia, after he punched the reptile in the head. PHOTO: AFP

SYDNEY: An Australian teenager is lucky to be alive, paramedics said Sunday, after he reportedly escaped the jaws of a crocodile by punching it in the head during a late night swim in a river.

The 18-year-old, named in local media as Lee de Paauw, suffered extensive injuries to his left arm after he was attacked in Johnstone River on Australia’s northeastern coast early Sunday morning, the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) said.